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I'd like to travel a 5-6 day loop of New York State this summer. Any suggestions for routes to travel to give me the best flavor of the Empire State? I'd be travelling in a truck camper and would like to stay at state and/or national parks for the overnights. I would be arriving from the south east (Maryland) and would like to start and end the journey in that vicinity.
Thanks for any and all suggestions.
Hi DoneItAll and Welcome to the RTA Forums!
If you plan on going as far north as Plattsburgh, Pointe Au Roche State Park is a beautiful park located right by Lake Champlain. They have a very nice beach, large pic-nic areas and a well maintained bicycle path.
If you visit the Lake Champlain Islands, North Hero State Park is a great place to stop overnight. If you enjoy canoeing or kayaking, paddle accross the lake to Knight Island State Park and then to Burton Island. Burton Island State Park is also accessible by ferry. These are not technically in NY though but they're worth a visit.
I'm usually not very fond of big commercial campgrounds but I thought the KOA in Ausable Chasm offered more privacy and is conveniently located near Mt White Face hiking trails and not too close to the freeway.
Here's the NY State Parks website. I don't think they succeeded in making this website user friendly though but maybe it can help you locate certain parks.
Happy planning!
Gen
A week (or even a bit less) is more than sufficient to see the best of New York. Coming up from eastern Maryland on either I-81 or US-15, or from western Maryland on I-79 or even I-99, will give you a scenic little RoadTrip to get you started, but the heart of your trip will be the loop of New York. I'll describe my suggestions going clockwise from Binghamton, and this routing will generally be by way of Southern Tier, the Niagara Frontier, along the Erie Canal, up into the Adirondacks, down the Hudson Valley and back across the Catskills.
There is no one good road (other than I-86/NY-17) across the Southern Tier, but by stringing together a few lesser traveller state highways, you can hit some of my favorite spots including Taughannock Falls (taller than Niagara!), Watkins Glen, and Letchworth State Parks. If you're of a spiritual or historic bent, consider checking out Chautauqua in the southwest corner of the state. Then it's on to Niagara Falls, of course. The general advice that's given about the Falls is true, try to see them from both sides. But to do this after the 1st of the year you will absolutely be required to have a passport for re-entry to the US.
Your route back east starts out following the old Erie Canal, or as it is less romantically known these days, the New York State Barge Canal. Lots of history tied up in both the canal and the towns along the way, as well as some very nice wildlife refuges that take advantage of all that water. Once you get into the Syracuse area, you'll want to head north a bit to experience the Adirondacks and the Thousand Islands region. The later is another area that is best seen by going back and forth between the US and Canada, so again, a passport is in order. Gen has given you some fine tips for northeastern NY, so I won't repeat them. One minor alternate suggestion would be to take the ferry from Fort Kent, NY over to spend at least a few hours in Burlington, VT. Leave the car on the west side of the lake, and just enjoy the 'cruise' and exploring the city on foot, particularly the Church Street Marketplace area.
To start closing your loop, head down the Lake George - Hudson River Valley, being sure to take in the history and shear beauty of such places as Crown Point, Fort Ticonderoga, and Fort William Henry. Then head southwest, either through the Catskills or just along I-88 (a lovely piece of Interstate) with a stop at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and you'll be back in the Binghamton area, your loop completed.
AZBuck
Thanks, moderators for your suggestions. I think that you've given me enough to get started with the planning. I really enjoy putting together a roadtrip - sometimes almost as much as taking the trip itself (almost).
If you don't mind 2 lane somewhat twisty roads, NY 28 is a great way to loop through both the Catskills & the Adirondacks. One of my favorite NY roads. I'll also second going a bit further west to check out Letchworth State Park.